After suffering their first defeat of the season, Carlo Ancelotti addressed the media to share his thoughts on the loss against Lille.
He acknowledged that Lille were the better side and deserved their victory. Ancelotti openly admitted that his team struggled to get into the match from the start and highlighted areas where improvement is needed.
“The opposing team played better than us and deserved to win. It was difficult for us to get into the game and now we have to learn. We have to improve in what is quite clear, it is not very complicated,” said the manager as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Ancelotti stressed that it was difficult for his team to recover possession and manage the ball efficiently.
“It was difficult for us to recover the ball and we were also bad at handling the ball. We must have a cool head. It was difficult for us to create.”
Lack of creativity
He emphasised the need to approach things calmly and focus on what went wrong without overreacting.
“We have to look at things with a cool head and not throw everything away, but obviously we have to improve.”
One of the key issues Ancelotti mentioned was the team’s lack of creativity. He noted that his side struggled to create opportunities, and this was a major concern throughout the match.
A particular problem was the lack of quick play through the midfield. Ancelotti explained that his forwards require a more direct approach, and when the ball is played too slowly, it hinders their ability to attack effectively.
“We have forwards who need to play a more vertical game than normal. If you get to the forwards slowly it’s a problem,” noted the manager.
Sensation within the team
Ancelotti also touched on the mood within the team. While it is understandable that defeats happen in football, he was more concerned about the negative feeling that came from the way the match unfolded.
“The sadness comes from the team’s feeling. Games can be lost because that’s sport, but the feeling we’ve given worries me more.”
Despite the defeat, Ancelotti refused to make excuses regarding the busy match schedule. He acknowledged that although the team has played many games in a row, the loss was simply down to a poor performance on the night.
“There is no need to make excuses. We have also played many games in a row before. It was not a good night and that’s it,” said Ancelotti.
Jude Bellingham’s form
When discussing Jude Bellingham’s form, Ancelotti pointed out that the young midfielder is playing in the same position as last year, where he had much success.
However, things have not been going as smoothly this season, but Ancelotti believes they just need to be patient.
“It’s the same position he had last year with the success he had last year. Now things aren’t going his way but we just have to wait.”
Reflecting on the match, Ancelotti expressed his belief that while the team has improved over time, this defeat was a setback. However, he remains confident that with continued effort, the team will bounce back.
“It’s not enough to talk about the issue to fix it. There is a dynamic that needs to be improved.
“Little by little I think the team was improving and this is a step backwards but we have to keep fighting and improving,” explained the manager.
Ancelotti also accepted the criticism of his team’s display, stating that it was justified.
“The criticism of today’s game is fair, correct and we have to accept it because it is what it is. We did not give a good version of ourselves in this game.”
He hopes that this defeat will serve as another wake-up call, much like a previous loss, and that the team can move forward stronger for the rest of the season.
Interestingly, this was Real Madrid’s first defeat since the Copa del Rey loss against Atletico Madrid. This means the club’s 36-game unbeaten run has now ended.
“The last defeat was a fantastic wake-up call because we haven’t lost again and I hope it will be like that again this time,” concluded the manager